Vicious (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – A woman spends the night fighting for her existence as she slips down a rabbit hole contained inside a gift from a late-night visitor.

My Take – Horror films and mysterious boxes have a long history, most popularly seen in the ‘Hellraiser‘ franchise. And they always have the same gist – a protagonist (or a bunch of them) receive an intriguing box following which, despite the warning signs, they pursue whatever instructions (or knowledge they can find) to further explore what it can do. And then, slowly at first, the box begins to unleash its evil, often bloody, powers.

The same is also the case of this latest from writer-director Bryan Bertino, best known for the cult home invasion thriller The Strangers (2009), who creates a moody psychological horror around a box that toy with perception, guilt, and the uncanny. Anchored by Dakota Fanning’s solid performance, the film works well enough as a suffocating and cruel experience that accurately simulates depressive self-loathing and builds out a terrifying, if intentionally vague, horror concept.

But while it delivers the expected jump scares and traps us inside a chilling sense of psychological unease, somewhere along the line it kind of loses itself. Mostly faltering under the weight of its uneven pacing and an under-explained plot that leaves too many questions unanswered. Without a doubt, the concept had potential for greatness, but the underdeveloped mythology of the box keeps the narrative from reaching its full potential.

Sure, considering the film has landed straight on Paramount+, it can be offered some latitude. Especially, considering how it gets a lot of things right, however, the final act may leave most viewers confused and frustrated than anything else.

The story follows Polly (Dakota Fanning), a young woman still reeling from an untold physical and emotional mess, but is now trying to get her life back together by preparing for upcoming important college interview while living alone in the large and unkempt house she has rented from her older sister, Lainie (Rachel Blanchard).

However, everything goes to hell when she opens her door to an old woman (Kathryn Hunter) on a wintry night. Confused and probably suffering from dementia, Polly invites her in to calm her nerves and to get some help, but after some aimless small talk, the old woman soon gets down to her real, sinister business.

Pulling out a large hourglass and a wooden box, inside lies a sinister promise that tests the limits of her sanity, morality, and will to survive. As Polly struggles to understand the rules tied to the box, she is forced to confront terrifying truths about herself and the unseen forces manipulating her world.

Indeed, director Bertino knows his way around the horror genre, as the atmospherics he piles on here, including an assaulting sound design and plenty of jump scares, are generally effective. Furthermore, the film succeeds in the most important department for horror films: being scary. The cinematography by Tristan Nyby characterizes Polly’s house in muted browns and yellows, with shadows peeking out of every corner. The home feels like an extension of a cracked mind, an ever-shifting environment with one goal: tormenting Polly.

Thematically, the film excels at exploring fear and self-confrontation. The mysterious box acts as both a literal and metaphorical trap, forcing Polly (and the viewers) to face uncomfortable questions about truth, guilt, and denial. One of the film’s most haunting messages is how easily people lie to themselves about their own flaws and desires. These themes hit hard and linger long after the credits roll.

But while the film starts off with a strong hook and provocative note, it soon loses its momentum. Scenes begin to blur together, and tension stalls in repetitive cycles of discovery and panic. Instead of escalating steadily, the narrative drifts in circles, undercutting the early suspense. And though director Bertino’s preference for long, quiet stretches works best when paired with rising stakes, but here, the pacing sags under its own weight, threatening to lull rather than unnerve.

The biggest issue with the film is the lack of clarity surrounding the box and its supernatural rules. While mystery can fuel intrigue, it ends up dragging on far too long, and as the story continues, it starts to negate lore and the rules of this world that seem to have been already established.

Surely the reasoning here is to cause the audience to wonder, alongside Polly, what is and isn’t actually happening, but instead it just creates confusion and frustration. We also see a couple of other characters who are being affected by it as well, yet we don’t learn enough about them to really understand why they were picked by the box or how it is impacting them. We get a few clues to indicate that everyone it encounters has a bespoke experience with it, but there are commonalities as well.

Nevertheless, the film works as a decent watch, mainly due to the full commitment of Dakota Fanning, who is at a career best here. She completely sells the fear, confusion, and desperation of her character’s dilemma. Every tremble in her voice and every anxious glance tells a story of someone breaking apart under the weight of her own choices. It is a commanding performance that makes you genuinely empathize with her situation.

Kathryn Hunter doesn’t have a large role in here, but it is a very important one. She helps to set the tone for what is to come and does a great job with what she is given. She is just creepy enough to keep us engaged. In smaller roles, Mary McCormack, Klea Scott, Rachel Blanchard, Devyn Nekoda and Emily Mitchell are decent enough. On the whole, ‘Vicious‘ is an unrelenting psychological horror feature that offers a decent experience even when it loses itself.